And then they were Grim
by SheyConYamo
Summary: Ciel has his own issues in his own world to deal with. But the Reapers have their problems too. While Ciel struggles with things he can only hope to overcome, can the Reapers get their own situations under control? -Rated M for later content; OC's-
1. Chapter 1

**I do not own Kuroshitsuji! I am not Yana! I am however toying with her story and messing with her characters, so please enjoy the read! X3**

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Chapter 1

Earl Ciel Phantomhive stared out the window of the carriage as they made their way into the heart of the small town of Haven. The town consisted of local storefronts and necessities for the townspeople; not much more. "Not much to look at, is it?" he asked quietly.

Sebastian Michaelis smiled. "Well, we aren't here to look, now are we my Lord?"

Ciel looked at him for a moment before returning his gaze to the street. "Hmph," was his only reply.

The encounter with the angel had been unnerving, as had the revelations that had accompanied it. Sebastian being the loyal servant he was, suggested an evening of relaxation in Haven. However ironically named, the little town was known for its artificial hot springs. Quite the destination for leisure lovers.

As they made it to the building containing the springs, Ciel sighed impatiently. _Finally_, he thought moodily. Sebastian made his way out of the carriage and did the honors of holding the door open. Ciel stepped out and looked up to the gaudy building front. It was adorned with wooden carvings made to look like tropical trees and plants. _How stupid_, he thought as his eyebrow twitched. "You realize I'm only doing this because I have nothing better to do," he said darkly as he started towards the large double doors.

"Even so, my Lord," Sebastian replied in a smug tone.

Ciel stifled a growl of annoyance.

Sebastian held one of the doors open and they made their way into an incredibly small lobby. It was almost too small to be a sitting room despite the comfortable furniture.

"Hello, Sirs!" the young lady at the front desk called. "Is your visit for one or two?" she asked sweetly, cocking her head to the side.

"Just one," Ciel replied. "This man is my butler."

"Oh! Alright, but I must inform you that we do not allow personal servants to enter with their employers," she said with a strained smile.

"What! Why?" Ciel asked immediately, feeling irritation at the restriction.

"Well..." the woman blushed, "we've had an issue with personal servants being... _personal_ servants." She smiled embarrassedly.

Ciel felt his face fall. He glanced to Sebastian who had the same blank expression. "... Oh. I see. Very well then," he conceded. _If I have no other choice_, he thought sullenly.

Several minutes later he came out of the dressing room she had directed him to and did his best to pull the rather short silk robe further down his legs. He wordlessly shoved his clothes into Sebastian's arms and accepted the small wicker basket full of various lotions, soaps, and loofas the attendant proffered. He followed her down a narrow hall to a suddenly large expansive hall filled with doors on either side.

"Right this way, Sir!" she said cheerily as she opened one of the doors closest to them. "I must inform you that our rooms are all shared rooms, but this is one of the few empty ones we have left. We are very busy today, so I can't guarantee you'll have it to yourself for long," she said with a kind smile.

"I understand," Ciel said in a monotone voice, "thank you for your consideration." He walked in and waited for her to shut the door. He immediately started taking stock of the large room. It was quite the work of construction.

The "spring" itself was a massive stone tub set into the stone bricked floor. The walls were made of treated wood so as to keep them from rotting from the constant steam and the cabinets and benches lining the room were well crafted and clean. A fine fragrance filled the air which he could only assume was coming from the water itself.

Ciel sat his basket down on a stool and started a closer inspection. He opened the cabinet and saw every shelf stocked with fresh towels. He closed it and walked around the walls and regarded the benches and floor. Everything was clean as a whistle and wet from the steam.

Ciel sighed quietly. "Alright then. Perhaps this visit will be enjoyable after all." He turned and started towards his wicker basket.

He suddenly heard a creek and looked to see the door opening again. "Right this way, Sir!" he heard the attendant say.

He immediately flushed. "Wait a minute its only been-" he stopped short and gasped as he caught sight of the person entering the room. "UNDERTAKER!?" he shouted.

The grey haired man laughed and started into the room. "Well, hello little Lord, fancy seeing you here!" he said flightily as he walked right past him.

Ciel turned and pointed at him as if he had committed a crime. "Wha-what are _you_ doing here?"

Undertaker giggled as he sat his basket down on a the bench. "I come here every now and then for some personal pampering! There are no such facilities in London, so while the journey is long, it is very well worth it."

"Oh..." Ciel looked to the floor and thought about the validity of that claim. _I guess it is possible._ He stifled a growl. "I see. Well, I- do you have to be in this room?" he half-shouted.

Undertaker turned towards him and shrugged. "They've already filled the others up! Don't tell me you are afraid of sharing a bath-"

Ciel flushed and quickly cut him off. "No! Of course not-"

"And in any case," Undertaker said, cutting him off in return, "am I the worst person to share it with?" he asked with a grin, crossing an arm across his chest and putting his chin to his fist.

Ciel wasn't sure what to say to that. "Uuuh... no... I suppose not," he said uncertainly.

Undertaker's grin somehow widened. "Hehe- right then!" With that he undid the silk belt at his waist.

Ciel flushed brighter this time at the sight. "Wa-wait! You're not going to take your clothes off!?"

Undertaker paused with one shoulder already slipping out of the measly robe. "Hehe! Well, you can't get in with your clothes on, silly boy!" he said brightly before continuing to disrobe.

Panic started to fill Ciel's chest. "Wai-wait-wha!" He started waving his arms frantically at Undertaker. "Nonono! I-" Quite suddenly he stopped as the breath left his lungs. "... What?" He stared wide-eyed at the sight before him.

"What? You didn't know?" Undertaker said with a grin as he clutched his robe to his chest, not at all attempting to hide his lower body. "We Grim Reapers are without gender."

Ciel stared unabashedly at the expanse of nothing between Undertaker's legs. There was obviously no "male" organ there and there wasn't even what was supposed to be there to imply a "female" organ. He'd only ever seen pictures so it wasn't as if he could say he knew what it looked like in reality, but that didn't change the fact that nothing was there at all. It was just... a mound of flesh. As if he was staring at a manikin in a tailor's shop.

Ciel blinked suddenly as the odd sight suddenly disappeared from his vision. Undertaker had turned to the bench and was setting his robe to the side. "Uh... genderless... As in not male or female?" he asked, feeling slightly as if he was asking a stupid question.

"Correct, little Lord! Your butler hasn't told you this?" Undertaker asked.

"Wha-NO! He _knows _about this?" Ciel shouted in disbelief.

"Well, of course!" Undertaker said cheerily, pulling an absolutely massive hair clip from his basket. "He is a demon who has walked this earth for millennia! He found this out a _long_ time ago." He started gripping his hair and twining it his hands before pulling it up and rolling it into a makeshift bun, securing it with the clip.

Only then did Ciel notice the scars running across his body and limbs; one crossing from his right shoulder to the middle of his left side, one from his left pelvic bone to his right hip bone, and another circling his left thigh, as well as one on either arm and on either leg. _He's scarred from head to toe..._ Ciel thought suddenly. "... Oh..." he said finally, almost forgetting the current conversation.

"Well, are you going to get in?"

"Huh, what?" Ciel said with a start and looked to see Undertaker testing the water with his foot.

"The spring, Earl Phantomhive!" he said as he knelt to the rim of the tub and started putting his legs in. "Its the perfect temperature!" He slid all the way in and sank down to his shoulders.

"Uh..." Ciel stared at the tub. He'd already forgotten about the hot spring. "... Right..." he shifted his weight from foot to foot.

"Oh _please!_ It's not as if I haven't seen a naked human body before!" Undertaker said, turning to apparently look at him, seeing as his bangs were still in his face. "Did you forget who I am?" he asked with a wide grin.

Ciel felt his eyebrow twitch in annoyance. He huffed. "No, I guess it wouldn't be new to you, would it." He opened his robe quickly and tossed it onto the bench. He walked purposefully to the spring and slipped in smoothly.

He took a deep breath of the elegantly scented water and suddenly noticed how it felt... soft, somehow. _It must be what they've put in it_, he thought absently. He took another deep breath and felt himself start to relax. He glanced to his side and saw Undertaker sunk in all the way to his chin. He had a content smile on his face. _He..._ Ciel thought. His eyebrows drew down in confusion. _Now that I think about it, why do they refer to themselves as 'he's' if they don't have genders?_ Ciel took a deep breath. "Undertaker?"

"Yes?" Undertaker said without moving, apparently content to be still.

"May I ask you a question?"

Undertaker chuckled. "You just did, my Lord, but you may ask another!"

Ciel suppressed his annoyance. "Why do you and the other Reapers refer to yourselves as 'he's'? If you have no genders, what would be the point?"

Undertaker grinned. "Well, you've never heard me refer to myself as a male now have you?" he asked in a quirky tone. Before Ciel could respond he continued. "However, if you must know, it is something we've acquired from you humans."

Ciel blinked in surprise. "Really?"

"Why yes! You see, we've been reaping the souls of humans since the very beginning, hence _our_ history is intertwined with _human_ history. Therefore, it is only natural that there would be bleed-throughs from one species to another." Undertaker cocked his head and seemed to be looking at Ciel. "One cultural difference that resonates as a similarity is the notion of genders! While we have no genders, we could not help but notice that we happened to resemble one of the human genders," Undertaker suddenly grinned, "the gender of male!"

Ciel sank slightly into the water. "... Yeah?"

"Hn! We obviously have more developed upper bodies and narrow hips, and of course we happen to be rather tall more often than not. And then, by human standards, our facial features and voices appear to be 'masculine'. Hence, when a human ever noticed us, they assumed we were 'men'." Undertaker leaned back and appeared to stretch out in the water. It was hard to tell because the water was a cloudy green color.

Ciel looked at him. "Well, that doesn't explain why you use the word? And what of Grell Sutcliff?"

Undertaker snickered suddenly and grinned again. "Very sharp you are, little Lord! You are correct, that is not the reason why we use the word in reference to ourselves. In truth, we accidentally borrowed the word."

"Really?" Ciel blurted in surprise.

"Yes! You see, in the ancient times of our people, we used to refer to ourselves and each other by our given names. Meaning, if I were to talk about you in any way, I would always use your name to refer to you. For example, 'Ciel went to the market with Ciel's butler and decided Ciel wanted a new cane because Ciel's old cane was starting to dull.'"

Ciel raised his eyebrows. "Well, that sounds terrible."

Undertaker giggled as he swished water around with his foot. "Yes, well, when raised with it as a way of life, there is no notice of it. However, there were some Reapers that took note of the pronouns that humans used to refer to themselves and others. Eventually, they started using them when speaking of humans in whatever situation and by complete accident started using it in their general speech. Soon enough, the gender specific pronoun 'he' and all its variations became part of our culture."

Ciel nodded as he took in that information. Then he remembered. "But what about Sutcliff and his... issues?"

Undertaker chuckled. "Well, Sutcliff is a rather specific case. As far as I can tell, he's become obsessed with the notion of a 'woman'. He likes the idea of being a 'woman' as we see women of the human race. Therefore, he has decided to take on the persona of such. Although, he has always been a crazy creature, if I remember correctly," Undertaker commented as he cocked his head to the side.

"Hmm," Ciel said simply. He sank a little lower into the water, feeling his chin hit the surface. "You said he was a specific case?"

Undertaker nodded as he leaned his head back and rubbed his hand down his neck. "Yes. You see there are a few of our kind who... are fair to say the least. They are extreme beauties even by our standards and often times happen to be of smaller stature and weaker strength. They actually happen to look like human 'women'!" he said with a smile. "In such cases, we can't help but call these individuals 'she' simply because they are so fair and gentle."

"Oh..." Ciel said with a nod. He rubbed his arm and felt a slight film between his fingers and skin. It wasn't uncomfortable though and didn't feel grimy. He blinked as a thought occurred to him. "If you don't have genders, how do you procreate?" He looked to Undertaker with confusion. Only to blush at the expression on his face.

Undertaker wore a sultry smile that in any context would have looked suggestive. "You... wish to know how we mate?" he asked lowly.

Ciel gulped as his face became hot, despite the water temperature. "Uuh, well... I mean, I don't, you don't have to tell me... I just..."

Undertaker suddenly leaned forward and invaded Ciel's personal space. He brought his face within inches of Ciel's. Ciel instinctively brought his legs up and tried to back away. "I- nevermind! I don't want to know, I-" Ciel abruptly yelped as he felt a sharp poke at his sternum.

"Here," Undertaker said with an odd quiet.

Ciel blinked. "What?"

Undertaker smiled. "Here." Ciel felt the poke again and realized Undertaker was poking him with his finger.

Ciel blinked and looked down, not that he could see anything through the water. "My chest?"

Undertaker made an amused sound. "_Our_ chests. Our chests boy!" Ciel gulped as he felt the smooth tips of Undertaker's fingers caress the spot he had previously been poking. "Here, right in this spot," Undertaker spoke quietly. "In this spot is what we use... our portal."

Ciel looked back up and saw only the hair in front of Undertaker's eyes. But he could read the expression on his face. It was strange... to see such a soft expression on the lunatic's normally manic face. He lowered his head slightly. "Your... Portal?" he asked.

Undertaker smiled an oddly calm smile. "That is what we call it. You humans use the words 'penis' and 'uterus' to distinguish your reproductive organs, but without genders we only need one word. We call it a portal. Because, in a sense, that is exactly what it is." He backed up and retook his earlier position.

Ciel relaxed and seated himself comfortably again. "So," he blinked suddenly as a thought occurred to him, "is that why you've been keeping your chest under the water?" he asked looking at Undertaker in astonishment.

Undertaker smiled widely. "My, what a sharp mind you have! Yes indeed, little Lord! I do have _some_ decency you know!" with that he chuckled.

Ciel smiled slightly. "I see." He looked down in to the water. _Should I just keep my mouth shut now?_

"But I guess that information doesn't really answer your question now does it!" Undertaker said suddenly.

Ciel blinked and sank into the water. "I guess not."

Undertaker made another sound of amusement. "Well... if you really want to _know_... the actual process is quite simple," he said with a shrug. "When a Grim loves another Grim, we touch our open portals together and exchange energy. When that energy merges, as in actually unites to become a single mass of energy, a child is conceived." He smiled and turned his head towards Ciel. "That's without explaining all the finer details that you would call sexual activity!"

Ciel flushed as Undertaker laughed at his expression. "So... its that simple?"

Undertaker cocked his head and rubbed his neck again. "Well, if you think about it, even intercourse among humans can be explained as 'that simple' but yes, that's the basics of the matter."

Ciel nodded and pushed his hair out of his face. The heat of the water and room combined was starting to make him sweat. He took a deep breath, ignoring the heat, and thought about what Undertaker had said. "Undertaker?"

Undertaker angled his head towards him. "Yes?"

Ciel chewed the inside of his lip before continuing. "Well... if there are no women, how does a Reaper carry a child?"

"A Grim." Undertaker said blankly.

Ciel blinked and stared. "What?"

Undertaker smiled wide and giggled slightly. "A Grim, boy. You have met plenty of Grim Reapers, and every Reaper you meet is a Grim, but not all Grims are Reapers!" He bounced his finger in the air as if singing along to a song and giggled at the end.

Ciel gasped lightly. "Oh! Your... your kind, your species, is called Grim?"

"Yes!" Undertaker answered, clapping his hands lightly above the water. "You are humans, we are the Grim! Not a fancy name for our race but good enough to get the point across," he said lowering his hands and sinking chin-deep into the water again.

"Oh. Well, that's interesting," Ciel said thoughtfully. "I would never have guessed."

"Hmm! Its funny how knowledge gets translated over dimensions and millennia," Undertaker said with a grin. "However, back to your original question!" he said in a sing-song voice, raising his hands and tapping his fingers in the air. "While our portals are how we conceive our children, we do have an organ in which they are carried! This organ, called 'kaieen' is in our lower abdomen, and is not all that different from a uterus. It is connected to our portals by a fine tube which carries the energy mass to the kaieen. The entrance of the tube seals after the energy is settled and the child begins to grow! Once it is time to pop out, the exit of the kaieen is situated in about the same location as a human woman's birth canal and we give birth to our children in the same manner!" Undertaker finished with a giggle and pushed himself from the wall of the tub to float in the middle of the expanse of the spring.

Ciel blinked at the myriad of information. "Well... That was a lot."

Undertaker giggled again. "Oh, it can be!" he said as he started floating in a circle.

Ciel leaned down in the water further as he watched Undertaker start to hum to himself while he floated. He rubbed his hand over his shoulder and cocked his head as another question occurred to him. He took a breath to ask when a realization hit him like a brick. _I've been asking him questions this whole time but not once has he mentioned payment!_ he thought as his eyes widened. He closed his mouth and sunk down under the water to his nose. _What does this mean? Is he going to require payment once I finally shut up? What will that be if he didn't mention it to begin with?_

"Is something the matter, little Lord?"

Ciel looked up with a start to see Undertaker stopped in the middle of the tub with his head cocked to the side. He blinked and swallowed. _I guess I should just come right out and say it. He's always been rather straight forward._ Ciel lifted his mouth out of the water and took a deep breath. "I noticed you hadn't asked me for payment. I was wondering why." He kept his face straight and his gaze centered.

Undertaker suddenly started laughing.

Ciel stared. "Uuum..."

"HAAHAHAA! No need to worry, young Earl! I require no payment this time around!" Undertaker said as floated to the opposite side of the spring. "You see, this information is of no consequence to you! You don't need it and never will, it is simply information for information's sake! I require no payment for that!" He giggled and rubbed his face with his hands.

"Oh! I hadn't even considered it that way," Ciel said in surprise. "So you wouldn't care if I asked you as many questions as I wanted on this subject?"

Undertaker cocked his head and smiled wide. "Not at all!" he answered.

"Oh... alright then. Then I have another question for you," Ciel said as he leaned back against the side of the tub.

"And that would be?" Undertaker said as he leaned his head on his hand.

"If there are no genders, yet you are capable of having children, are there no mother and father figures?" Ciel asked, the confusion obvious in his voice.

Undertaker looked surprised for a split second before smiling wide again. "My, my, you are in a learning mood today, Earl!"

Ciel blushed slightly and looked away, not entirely sure what to say to that comment.

Undertaker chuckled and sank into the water. "Well, while we have no gender specific names or roles, we do have distinctions between a Grim who carries a child and a Grim who does not. These distinctions only come about once the child is conceived, being that there is no way to know these distinctions until that happens. The one who ends up carrying the child, is called 'Beyah'. The one who ends up siring the child, is called 'Saiah'. In a manner of speaking, the Beyah is like the mother, and the Saiah is like the father," he finished with a smile.

Ciel nodded. "That makes sense. But, how do you know which will end up being which?" he asked in confusion.

"Well, as I said, we usually don't know until it happens," Undertaker said as he started scratching the back of his neck. "But, there can be an indicator when monitoring the relationship. More often than not, whoever is more submissive within the relationship will be the one carrying the child."

Ciel nodded. "Hmm... I guess that makes sense," he said as he sank chin deep into the water again.

Undertaker chuckled. "Yes, that is usually the case, but sometimes we are sorely surprised!"

Ciel smiled slightly. "Is that so?"

"Oh yes!" Undertaker nodded and lifted his hands out of the water, reaching for his hair. "One time, there was a higher up official within the Association who- uh!" He stopped short as his hair and the massive clip that had held it suddenly fell into the water. Undertaker stayed frozen for a few moments before suddenly bringing his hands down into the water to make huge splashes. "OH BLOODY HELL!" he shouted loudly.

Ciel straightened in surprise and watched as Undertaker turned and pulled himself out of the spring, his now wet length of hair sticking to his back as he did so. "What's wrong?" he asked automatically.

Undertaker started around the edge of the tub towards his wicker basket, his arm covering his chest and a sour expression on his face. "I put my hair up for a reason! Once it gets wet like this there's no way to get it untangled!" he got to his basket and started shifting through items.

Ciel stared at Undertaker's back. "Wasn't it all tangled to begin with?" He had never once seen the Grim's hair straight and brushed out.

"Of course it was! The point is it becomes a disaster when it gets wet!" Undertaker responded loudly, throwing two loofas across the room.

Ciel sighed. "Well, don't they have servants for that?"

"No, they don't have servants for that! They don't even have servants here, they have attendants! Its none of their jobs to help me comb my hair!" he said moodily as he finally seemed to find what he was looking for.

Ciel leaned to the side to see Undertaker holding up a large comb. "Are you going to brush it yourself?" he asked.

"Its an effort in futility," Undertaker grumbled as he slouched to the cabinet with the towels in it.

Ciel huffed and crossed his arms. He was already annoyed with Undertaker's sudden bad mood. "And why is that?" he asked, attempting to hide the annoyance from his voice.

"My hair lies on my back not my front, its like trying to fence someone without looking at them!" Undertaker said grumpily as he wrapped a towel around his middle and sat on one of the stools.

Ciel felt his eyebrow twitch as he looked at the back of Undertaker's head. "Fine then, how about I call my butler in to do it for you!" he said, only being partially sarcastic.

Undertaker half faced him. "Your butler is not allowed in here with you _or_ me, so that is not a viable option." He turned back around and reached to his hair. He seemed to be trying to part a small section of it out, but it was obvious how impossible that task really was.

Ciel huffed and sank into the water as he watched. He started to feel somewhat sympathetic as even Undertaker's long nails weren't helping in his plight. He chewed on his lip. _Well, its his own fault, he's the one that never combs..._ Ciel blinked as he watched Undertaker try to pull out the section he was trying to get at. His hands moved an inch and a large knot suddenly developed right at the break in his hair. Ciel blinked. He sighed. "Well... mm... maybe I can try to comb it for you?" he mumbled.

Undertaker's form jarred downward slightly and an odd sound came from him. "You? Come my hair?" A muffled noise came from him again.

Ciel's eyebrow twitched as he realized Undertaker was trying to keep from laughing. "Do you have a better idea?" he asked in defense.

An actual giggle escaped as Undertaker again tried to part out a section of his hair. "Not presently, but It would do no good for you to try either!" The smile was obvious in his voice.

"And why is that?" Ciel asked, starting to get annoyed.

Undertaker gave a good yank, only to make the new knot grow bigger. "Mmm! Because, you would give up in the first two minutes and have to call your butler in to do it for you! Then we'd all get banned from the place and that would do no good, at least for me." He tried yanking again, without luck.

Ciel suddenly felt indignation well up. "Are you saying you think I can't do it?!"

Undertaker gave a chuckle and turned slightly towards him. "You have several servants and a demon butler. You don't have to worry about doing anything, they can do it all for you, hence, an attempt at _my_ hair will likely be an unwinnable challen-"

"Shut your face and get your bloody arse over here!"

_30 minutes later..._

Ciel had to admit... he was rather proud of himself.

Undertaker's mane had been a ridiculous mess of tangles and knots and webs and nests. How the Grim managed to get it so tangled was actually beyond his comprehension. And sure enough it had been a complete and total nightmare getting the whole mass sorted out. However, there was something to be said for tenacity. And patience, although he was surprised he had found some to use. _I suppose it was my determination to prove this lunatic wrong_, Ciel thought to himself as he glided the comb through the now flawless locks. _Hmm... funny... his hair is actually quite nice._ He surprised himself with the thought, but he had to admit it wasn't unfounded.

Undertaker's now straight and somewhat dry hair was several feet long and smooth to the touch. While he couldn't tell in the low light of the room, it seemed to have more of a sheen to it now that it was actually combed out.

Ciel lifted his hair slightly and brought the comb back around and combed it from underneath. He watched as the smooth locks glided gently over the prongs of the comb. _Funny... feels like playing with a waterfall_, he thought randomly.

"Having fun?"

Ciel looked to see Undertaker's head barely angled towards him. He scoffed. "As much fun as one can have combing a bird's nest."

Undertaker chuckled. "That's ironic! I remember when you used to enjoy doing this for hours on end!"

Ciel froze. He looked up at Undertaker's head. "What?"

Undertaker cocked his head but didn't look back. "You don't remember?"

Ciel felt his face mar in confusion. "Remember what?"

"Oh!" Undertaker repositioned his head. "Well, when you were younger, about four or five, you used to comb my hair out all the time when I visited your father. You really don't remember?"

Ciel stared blankly as he processed that comment. He blinked and slowly looked back down at Undertaker's hair. "You visited my father?" he asked in a far away tone.

"Now don't tell me you don't remember _any_ of my visits!" Undertaker said incredulously. "There was at least one year I was over there every few weeks!"

Ciel started automatically combing Undertaker's hair as he wracked his brain for some sort of memory. He couldn't really think of anything. He had known about Undertaker's previous relationship with his father based on his father's records. That was how he had found him after all. However, he had literally no memory of Undertaker prior to his meeting him two years previous whilst taking up the rains as the queen's Watchdog. He blinked slowly and refocused on the hair.

"Well, I'm glad I make a good impression," Undertaker said sarcastically.

Ciel glanced up but continued his motions. "I honestly don't remember anything..."

Undertaker shrugged. "Oh well, you were very young after all."

Ciel nodded and continued his motions. He shifted slightly. He'd been sitting cross-legged on the floor the entire time and it was starting to make him stiff. He looked back up at Undertaker. He seemed more still than before. He narrowed his eyes and took a breath to say something.

"If I remember correctly," Undertaker suddenly said, "you used to say it was like playing with a waterfall..."

Ciel froze and his eyes went wide. "I..." He couldn't find any words to say. "I..." He blinked rapidly and shook his head slightly. _Good grief, I'm not a mute! Say something_, he commanded to himself silently. He took a breath to do so when he was interrupted by the door opening.

"Hello, Sirs!" said the attendant with a sweet smile. "I don't mean to intrude, but your butler is inquiring as to your status, Earl." She either didn't notice, or didn't want to acknowledge the odd sight of the young lord brushing the funeral director's hair.

Ciel blinked and regained himself. "Oh, yes, tell him I won't be much longer."

The attendant nodded. "Yes, Sir!" She bowed slightly and shut the door.

"Is it time for you to leave then, young Earl?" Undertaker asked with a smile in his voice.

Ciel took a deep breath and took one last stroke through his hair. "Yes. I've been here too long already. I have to get back to my duties." With that he stood and started towards his wicker basket.

"Of course! The work of the queen's Watchdog is never done!" Undertaker said with cynical amusement.

"Never will it ever," Ciel said in agreement as he put the comb to the side and removed the towel from his waist to start drying off. He glanced to the side and noticed Undertaker bring his hair around from his back and start combing through it with his fingers. He also noticed that by doing so he had covered his chest from view. _Is he really so modest?_

"Thank you, Earl Phantomhive." Undertaker said suddenly.

Ciel blinked. "You're thanking me?"

"Of course!" Undertaker said with a smile. "Its not every day I have an Earl of the upper class tend to my needs. The least I can do is be grateful!"

Ciel scoffed as he put the towel to the side and picked up his robe. "Just pay me back with free information some time," he said. He was only half-joking.

Undertaker giggled. "Fine then, but I get to choose which information you will get free!"

Ciel smiled sardonically. "Whatever you like." He tied the silk tie securely and started for his basket. As he picked it up, he couldn't help but glance at Undertaker's chest, being that it was within perfect view. His thick hair was in just the right place to hide everything.

"Perhaps sometime I'll give you a more in-depth lecture on how our biology works!" Undertaker said with a near-evil looking grin.

Ciel actually laughed. "I don't think I'll need that information any time soon."

"Now that, you never know!" Undertaker said, pointing a finger into the air.

Ciel shook his head and started for the door. "Perhaps next time."

"Perhaps next time, you'll remember the waterfall."

Ciel stopped short.

"Or should I say... next time you won't be afraid to admit you remember it..."

Ciel stared at the stone floor for a moment before turning to look at Undertaker. He had his head cocked as if listening. Ciel huffed. "I didn't remember it... It was just a thought I had before you spoke of it."

Undertaker chuckled quietly. "Memories manifest themselves in many ways, young Earl. Remember that."

Ciel stared at him and huffed again. "Until next time then."

"Until next time, Earl Phantomhive!" Undertaker said without turning.

Ciel turned away and started for the door. He looked back one last time as he opened it. Undertaker simply sat there, stroking his hair. Ciel took a deep breath and walked out, shutting the door behind him.

Undertaker continued combing through his hair with his fingers. It was nice to have it untangled again. He never really had the time to comb it out completely, hence the constant mess it was in. Although, he hadn't expected this particular situation. _Funny that he doesn't remember. Brushing my hair was always one of his favorite activities when I was over_, Undertaker thought to himself.

He smiled and laughed lightly to himself. "I want to play with the silver waterfall, Father! Will you be long?" he repeated from memory. He sighed. "Every time."

As Undertaker ran over the many memories of Ciel as a young child his smile slowly started to fade. He leaned his elbow on his knee and rubbed his eyes as he gripped his hair in his other hand. _How... terribly sad..._ he thought. _He used to be such a happy child._ A laugh escaped him that was neither amused nor happy. "Earl Phantomhive... The queen's Watchdog."

XxXxX

* * *

**A tidbit of chapter 2!**

He blinked.

William T. Spears stared at the monitor in front of him and realized he had reread the same sentence four times... and still had no idea what it said. He breathed in smoothly and breathed out just as smoothly. His tightly controlled version of a sigh. _I hate it when this mood comes over me_, he thought to himself. _It is so terribly unproductive. _

He took his glasses off and threw them onto the papers on his desk. He leaned back in his chair and suppressed an uncharacteristic groan. He rubbed his eyes then looked out the window to the brilliant blue blur that was the sea of Ollenn.

He didn't get this mood often, but when he did, it was only ever resolved in one way. Well, two if he was considering every actual option. He didn't often prefer the first... seeing as it had to do with private activity with Grell. He wasn't always up for that. The second required taking a leave from his duties for an hour or two, therefore increasing the urgency of his schedule. However... the second was really his only option.

William blinked as the waves of the sea caused a ray of sunlight to flash on its surface. He heaved a legitimate sigh. _I really do hate this mood_, he thought as he resolved to notify the clerk of his impromptu deviation for the day.


	2. Chapter 2

**I do not own Kuroshitsuji! I am not Yana! Again! Only messing with her story!**

* * *

Chapter 2

He blinked.

William T. Spears stared at the monitor in front of him and realized he had reread the same sentence four times... and still had no idea what it said. He breathed in smoothly and breathed out just as smoothly. His tightly controlled version of a sigh. _I hate it when this mood comes over me_, he thought to himself. _It is so terribly unproductive. _

He took his glasses off and tossed them onto the papers on his desk. He leaned back in his chair and suppressed an uncharacteristic groan. He rubbed his eyes then looked out the window to the brilliant blue blur that was the sea of Ollenn.

He didn't get this mood often, but when he did, it was only ever resolved in one way. Well, two if he was considering every actual option. He didn't often prefer the first... seeing as it had to do with private activity with Grell. He wasn't always up for that. The second required taking a leave from his duties for an hour or two, therefore increasing the urgency of his schedule. However... the second was really his only option.

William blinked as the waves of the sea caused a ray of sunlight to flash on its surface. He heaved a legitimate sigh. _I really do hate this mood_, he thought as he resolved to notify the clerk of his impromptu deviation for the day.

He replaced his glasses and shut his computer down. He uttered only a few words to the clerk at the front. He merely nodded at passersby in the halls.

He made his way to the back of the building, not an easy task at the slowest of times given its size, though he managed it quite fast. He exited the double doors to the rear courtyard of the premises. It was nice, but not what he needed. He quickly made his way through the grassy areas and fountains, following the straight line of the walkway. He got a few sidelong glances from random employees mulling about, but nothing to damper his determination.

He exited the courtyard and started up the hill that would eventually become the mountain of Eritas that sat directly behind the Grim Reaper Staffing Association's main facility. He didn't need to climb the entire mountain, but he needed to crest the hill and be away from everyone else. It was his only option and the only one that he was comfortable with.

Finally after many minutes of hiking, William stopped and turned. The GRSA facility was suitably small, and his fellow Grim nothing but small pinpricks against the green backdrop of the courtyard. He looked away to gaze at the mountains and the city lining Ollenn.

The city of Erritamos, their great capital city.

It was one of the most spectacular cities of their realm. It had to be really. It was the longest lived, most populated center in history. And said to be the birthplace of their modern civilization. It's tall buildings and magnificent architecture were splendid jewels to adorn such a beautiful crown of accomplishment.

William sighed. After centuries of gazing at it's beauty it was sometimes hard to remember it's true significance to their world. And certainly, today was not a day for him to dwell on it.

William took his glasses off while pulling a small, silk pouch out of his suit jacket. He placed his glasses in carefully and pulled the silk cord tight. He replaced the pouch to it's place and proceeded to take his gloves off. He tucked them into his pocket and ran his bare hands through his hair. He closed his eyes and angled his head up, relishing the sunlight on his face. He opened his eyes and looked behind him to the grass of the hilltop. He knelt down and ran his hand through the emerald strands. He took a deep breath and sat, turning himself towards the sea. He leaned back and slowly laid himself down. He took a deep breath of the fresh greenery as he ran his hands through it at his sides. He was already feeling better... but of course it wasn't enough.

William closed his eyes. He let the breeze calm his mind and the smell of the grass calm his nerves. He took a deep breath and crossed his hands over his abdomen. It was nice. To be out in nature.

_"It always becomes a part of you, William, the need to be among what is natural and green." _

William felt the corners of his lips perk up just slightly as his senpai's words resonated through his mind.

_"Is that a good thing?" he asked. _

_"Well of course!" his senpai answered. "It will always bee a good thing. But you must remember, not everyone will understand." _

_"Why?" he asked, lifting his arm to protect his face from a sudden gust of wind. _

_His senpai chuckled slightly. "It is the nature of life, Youth. Even with the knowledge of things, they still won't understand, but you can never let that deter you. You can never let that tear you away from what you feel." He pointed to his own chest with a smile. _

_He smiled himself and nodded. He then realized his senpai had stopped walking and they were standing in the middle of a field. "Is this what you wanted to show me, Senpai?" _

_The older Grim smiled as the wind tossed about his silvery-grey hair. "Yes, but there is more to it than this." _

_He nodded and waited patiently. _

_His senpai all out grinned. "You are such a patient young Grim, William!" _

_He smiled at his name. "I have to be patient to learn, right?" _

_His senpai smiled a more gentle smile. "Always, Youth." With that he closed his eyes. _

_He held his breath as he watched. He watched his senpai's long grey hair, up in it's normal bow, waving in the breeze, his black overcoat being tossed around like a flag... his face in an expression of serenity. He blinked suddenly as he saw a glow emanate from his senpai. It was a beautiful cyan blue. He watched in aw as it started pulsing and rushing around almost like electricity. Then, his senpai opened his eyes. His golden-green eyes were bathed in a rich cyan blue glow. William suddenly found he couldn't breathe. _

_"This is the rawest form of our energy, my Savyen. If you listen and learn... you will be able to summon yours as well." The smile he wore on his scarred face was so beautiful, so loving. _

_William suddenly remembered to breathe. He blinked and felt tears race down his face. "Its... so beautiful, Senpai..." _

_His senpai smiled wider. "The beauty of what we are, William." _

William felt the emotion of that day well in him again and he reached inside himself for what he knew was there. It only took a split second.

He gasped gently as the spark came to life. He felt his core vibrate and expand. He relaxed and let the energy flood his body and appendages. He felt it rush through him like a warm breeze and pool in his body like honey. He felt the crest, like a bowl filled to the brim, and pushed ever so slightly. He sighed as his energy flooded from him and into the earth. He felt the earth start to change because of the influx. He smiled as he heard and felt the grass around him start to grow at an exaggerated rate. It grew around him and some grew between the gaps in his arms and legs, twining up, reaching for the sky. He opened his eyes and saw the grass and sky through the icy-blue of his energy. _So interesting_, he thought, _that my energy would be a lighter color than his... _He smiled in contentment and let his eyes drift shut and let his energy slowly subside from an even flow to a small trickle. Finally, it all but stopped.

William took a deep breath as his core quieted in his chest. He opened his eyes to see the grass several feet taller than it had been. A small laugh escaped him. He loved seeing the affect his energy had on the environment. He only wished he could see it more often.

He closed his eyes again and sighed as reality came back to him. _I guess its time to get back_, he thought almost sullenly. He leaned up and stood. He opened his eyes and saw the radius of the taller grass was at least fifteen feet from him, perhaps more. He smirked as he put his gloves back on and reached in his jacket for his glasses.

As he replaced his glasses and started through the grass he started thinking about his senpai. _Its been quite some time since I've seen him, hasn't it?_ he asked himself. _Well, there was the incident with that angel two weeks ago, but that doesn't really count, now does it._

As William stepped carefully on a steeper section of the hill he felt an itch at the back of his mind. He knew it well, though he hadn't felt it in quite some time. _It has been a long time hasn't it... since I've actually gone to spend any real time with him._ William stopped suddenly as he tried to remember the last time he had visited. He stared blankly at the still miniscule courtyard below. "Its been almost a decade..." he said out loud. As if his words had started a chain reaction, the itch in his mind suddenly became an urge.

William blinked. "Perhaps my duties can be suspended until tomorrow morning."

XoXoX

Ciel huffed as he and Sebastian continued down the rarely traveled street. His current case was rather odd in its own right and he had a feeling he would come up with nothing on this particular trip.

Only a few days ago, someone had broken into the British Museum. While that wasn't too surprising, what was surprising was that nothing was stolen. Investigations suggested that the reason nothing was stolen was that the culprit was unable to complete the act before the guards stormed the area. The guards' testimonies said they had managed to chase the culprit to a particular wing of the museum before the person somehow slipped away. The specific wing they had entered did not contain anything particularly worthwhile, old pottery, samples of ruins, nothing really worthy of attention for any well-weathered cat burglar. However, Ciel had noticed something perhaps worth looking into.

One of the displays was of a small rock. It wasn't much to look at. It looked like an oval shaped stone that had been chiseled into it's shape. The color of the rock was a strange deep blue color, almost resembling indigo. It didn't appear to be of any special element or mineral, but nevertheless was considered valuable.

The plaque underneath pegged the rock as the "Uniba Stone", a historical object found 700 years previous by ancient monks. In those times it was recorded that whomever had physical possession of the stone for any great length of time always came to suffer some illness or plague over their person. The stone was soon seen as a physical omen of bad luck and was cast out by the monks who had originally discovered it. Soon after, a lord of the land had found it and had decided to make it his family's heirloom. According to this lord's personal records his life had generally become better after the stone's discovery. That was considered to be his own perception, as no more than a decade after his death great tragedies befell his family and soon enough none of his blood relatives were among the living. That being the case, all his possessions, including the stone, were taken over by the law and auctioned off. The stone then spent the next several centuries causing similar occurrences it the lives of the random people that came to possess it. Finally, not twenty years prior, the stone was reclaimed by the state to be shown in the British Museum as an example of how physical objects can be perceived as omens through history.

Ciel sighed as he thought about what it could mean. _Possibly nothing if I think logically_, he thought to himself. In reality, he had no reason to assume that the stone was of any importance to anyone. However, considering its rather longstanding and colorful history, it was the only thing he really had to go on.

"We are here, my Lord," Sebastian said suddenly.

Ciel looked up just in time to keep from running into him. "Could you not have said that sooner?" he asked in annoyance.

Sebastian smiled. "I didn't realize you were so lost in thought. Next time I'll pay more attention."

Ciel raised his eyebrow at him.

"Perhaps it is the Earl who should pay more attention."

Ciel felt his eyebrow twitch. "And WHY did you have to follow me again?!" he shouted as he turned on the Chinese national behind him.

Lau smiled his usual calm smile. "Because I have a vested interest in the case, of course. Didn't I tell you that already?" he asked as he cocked his head to the side.

Ciel felt like he was about to pop a blood vessel. "NO! You didn't tell me- do you even know what I'm investigating!?"

"Of course!" Lau said quickly.

Several seconds passed.

"What were the details again?"

"GAH!"

"Now, now my lord," Sebastian said with a smug smile, "no need to fuss over this one's usual antics."

Ciel took a deep breath and huffed through his nose. He straightened up and suppressed a growl. _I know you enjoy this you..._ He cleared his throat and nodded.

Sebastian took his cue and did the honors of opening the door. Ciel walked in to quite the normal sight. Coffins splayed all along the floor, dust and cobwebs along the shelves and ceiling seams, dim lighting because of the grimy windows. Undertaker's parlor was the same as always.

Ciel looked around. For a brief moment he thought Undertaker was still gone.

"Ello, little Lord!"

Ciel, Sebastian, and Lau jumped at the sudden exclamation from behind them. They all looked to see Undertaker in the corner holding two tools of his trade. "How are you doing today?" he asked with his customary grin.

Ciel sighed as his eyebrow twitched in annoyance. "I'm doing fine, thank you," he said lowly.

Undertaker giggled as he replaced his tools to his supply table. "Well, that is lovely to know!" He started for the far end of the parlor. "So what business brings you here this fine, sunny day?"

Ciel felt his eyebrow twitch again as he watched Undertaker take out his jar of cookies and box of tea bags. "Its hardly fine and certainly not sunny, but my business is brief I'm sure," he said, hoping to discourage Undertaker from actually making the tea. While he could tell the beakers were clean, he always got a knot in the pit of his stomach at the thought of what might have filled them at any given time.

"Ooh?" Undertaker said in surprise as he scooted the box of tea back in its place.

Ciel heaved an internal sigh. "Yes. I have a simple question that you may need very little payment for."

"Hmmm!" Undertaker sat his jar of cookies on the coffin in front of him and sat on a stool just behind it. "And why do you think I'll need so little payment?" he asked with a smile, lacing his fingers in front of him.

"The question has nothing to do with any recent deaths and possibly has nothing to do with the underground. My only thought is you might have heard something about the subject," Ciel answered.

Undertaker cocked his head and twiddled his thumbs in his lap. "It doesn't have to do with _recent_ deaths?" he asked in an amused tone.

Ciel felt his eyebrow twitch again. "No. All deaths associated with the subject have been past deaths, many of them centuries ago."

"Oh!" Undertaker said, visibly perking up. "That is interesting now isn't it!"

Ciel suppressed a sigh. _I think he just enjoys getting on people's nerves._ "Yes. Would you like the question now, or do you want payment first?"

"Hmmmmm..." Undertaker cocked his head exaggeratedly and tapped a finger to the side of his face.

Ciel stared blankly. _Yes... he's enjoying my annoyance._

"Since you think its such a small matter that I'll probably know nothing about, why not ask the question first to see if its even worth the effort! After all, I know how difficult you find it to give me my form of payment!" he said with a snicker.

Ciel rolled his eyes. "Fine. Three days ago someone broke into the British Museum. This person was chased to a wing with nothing of great value and somehow slipped away from the guards during the chase. The wing the culprit was chased to had only one thing of real interest and it's a stone that is said to be a physical representation of an omen. It's called the Uniba Stone. My question is do you know anything in particular about the stone and do you know if anyone would have a reason to steal it?"

Sebastian barely heard his master's actual question. His senses immediately spiked the minute Ciel had mentioned the name of the stone. He narrowed his eyes just slightly as he took in Undertaker's sudden change in demeanor.

He was still sitting on the stool with his legs crossed, still with his hand to his face, still aimed at his lord, listening intently. However... his smile was different. While not a single muscle had moved in the Grim's face, the smile had turned from an expression of amused curiosity to a forced mask. He was forcing himself to keep the smile that had been genuine only moments before.

Only he, with his supernatural senses, would have caught the shift, but now that it had happened his curiosity was peaked.

There were a few moments of silence and stillness before Undertaker finally let out a laugh. It was an odd laugh to come from him. It seemed to be a laugh of amusement but without any happy undertone. He rubbed his hand over his mouth to grip his chin and let out another laugh as he angled his head down.

Sebastian was surprised to see that Undertaker had lost his composure so quickly. Although he was relieved to sense that Ciel and Lau had caught on to the mood change.

"Is something wrong?" Ciel asked, the hint of confusion obvious in his voice.

Undertaker's head tilted upwards slightly. "Well... " he started lowly, an almost cynical smile on his face, "I'm afraid I am no good at lying, so I'll tell you the truth. I know of the artifact you're speaking of. I know a lot more than what has been documented. However, I am not at liberty to give you any information about it." His words rang with finality.

Sebastian stared at the Grim as he waited for his master's response.

"Well that's a new one isn't it!" Lau said suddenly.

Sebastian felt Ciel's annoyance rise another few notches.

"SHUT UP, LAU! What do you mean you can't give me any information!?" Ciel practically yelled.

Undertaker giggled, this time with his usual amusement. "My, my, how testy a child is when denied their desire!"

"This is no time for sarcasm! If you know something important about this stone, I need to know what it is!" Ciel said angrily.

"HA!" Undertaker grinned and stood from his stool. "You don't need what I have to say, I'll tell you that much, Earl Phantomhive. Other than that, I'll not give you a single word!"

Ciel stalled for a moment as he tried to respond.

Sebastian took his opportunity. "And what if we gave you your payment?" he asked in a curious tone.

Undertaker giggled again. "No form of payment will suffice for this, Butler! I will not say a word, for they are not even my words to say."

Ciel made an odd growling noise. "And what is _that_ supposed to mean?" he shot out.

"Isn't it obvious, my Lord?" Lau cut in. "It means he is bound by some code or law. He must have _permission_ to give this information, and that is clearly something he must not have."

Undertaker chuckled and brought his sleeved hand to his mouth. "How very astute of you, Chinaman!"

"Why thank you!" Lau said with a smile as he bowed.

"This is absolutely outrageous!" Ciel yelled. "Since when have you ever had information you _couldn't_ give!?"

Undertaker grinned wide. "Since _now_, little Lord! Considering that fact," Undertaker moved around his coffin to stand in front of it, "if you have no other questions to ask or business to attend to, I must ask you to leave, as I have plenty of work to be doing!"

"Are you sure there is no form of payment you will accept?" Sebastian asked abruptly.

Undertaker closed his lips and very nearly smirked. "I am quite sure, Butler. I have not the ability nor the will to give up the information I have, therefore, no form of payment will suffice."

"Hmm," Sebastian narrowed his eyes on the Grim. "What if I could persuade you otherwise?" he asked, cocking his head to the side. He felt the surprise from his master and Lau. Though he was more interested in how Undertaker would react.

The Grim in question chuckled and covered his mouth with his sleeved hand. He seemed genuinely amused by the suggestion. "There is no persuasion to be had! The simple fact is your master will not receive this information as I am in no position to give it."

Sebastian's eyes narrowed further. He then drew himself to his full height and lifted his head. "I am afraid I must at least make an attempt. For what kind of Butler would I be if I could not at least _try_ to attain what my master needs."

Undertaker actually did smirk at those words. "What a self-confident servant you are."

"Shall I take the Earl outside?" Lau asked as if on cue.

"Would you please?" Sebastian said without taking his eyes off Undertaker.

"Hey! I am not some baby, I don't need anyone to _take_ me anywhere!" Ciel shouted.

"Master, I would prefer you wait outside while I attempt my persuasion. I'm afraid it might not be suitable for your eyes." Sebastian said smoothly.

Ciel made that growl-like noise again. He stared at Undertaker who seemed to be content to stand and smirk at them all, as if they were children trying to bully an adult. He huffed. "Undert-"

"As I've already said," Undertaker started, cutting him off, "I am in no position to give you any information on this subject."

Ciel felt indignation swell in him. He felt he urge to shout again but stopped himself and took a deep breath instead. "Fine," he said tightly. He turned. "Call me when you're done, Sebastian." With that he quickly exited the parlor as Lau followed smoothly behind.

Sebastian leveled his own smirk as he stared at Undertaker. "This will be made a lot easier if you simply conform to your normal routine."

Undertaker smiled. "Hm! What is it about the words 'I am in no position' that you do not understand? I can only say it so many times before I begin to question your cognitive capabilities." He put his hands on his hips and cocked his head.

Sebastian chuckled. "Well, you need not question my mental status, I do understand what you mean. However, that statement is of no consequence to me. The fact of the matter from my point of view is you have what my master needs. Hence, I must explore every available option with which to attain it."

Undertaker scoffed. "So then, Butler... what method of persuasion do you think will work on me?" he asked with a strangely venomous grin.

Sebastian smiled sweetly. "Well, with someone like you, I have to think outside the box don't I?"

Undertaker laughed lowly. "Of course." He took his hands from his hips and started towards the corner he had been at when they had first entered his parlor. "If you don't mind, I'll just continue my former tasks while you take your time to think!" he said sarcastically.

Sebastian watched him as he walked. Just as Undertaker was about to pass him he suddenly noticed a chair next to the wall by some shelving. _Hmm..._ Sebastian refocused on Undertaker.

Undertaker stopped short. He grinned suddenly and turned his head towards Sebastian. "Really?" He snickered. "You're going to use your energy under my roof?" he asked, seeming more amused than angry.

Sebastian smirked again, reveling in the feel of his demonic energy shrouding his form. "Well, I did say I had to think outside the box."

Undertaker chuckled, hunching over as he did so. "Really?!" He chuckled again, sounding almost on the verge of tears. He then gasped and stood straight. "Fine then!" he said loudly. He turned and spotted the chair. He grabbed the back and swung it around then took a seat on it and crossed his legs and arms. "Show me what you've got!" he said with a wide grin.

Sebastian didn't let on at how overjoyed he was that Undertaker had sat himself upon the chair. It was simply one less step to worry about. He did smile though. "As you wish!" With that he summoned his energy into a mass just behind Undertaker.

As quickly as was possible for him, which was less than a second for anyone who might have been observing, Sebastian coerced his energy into tendrils and flung them out at Undertaker. Just as quickly, he used those tendrils to wrap around Undertaker's legs and arms, uncrossing them with ease, aligning his legs with the chair legs, wrapping his arms around the back, and tightly securing them both.

Sebastian smirked as he looked at the Grim, now in effect tied to the chair and defenseless against whatever whims he decided to act upon. "Who's feeling confident now?" he asked.

Undertaker's smile widened. "Obviously still you, Demon," he said, referring to him by his nature for the first time. He didn't seem to be alarmed, however. In fact, he still seemed to be amused.

Sebastian didn't allow that fact to annoy him as he retained his own smile. He cocked his head and closed the distance between them. "Hmmm, I wonder... what shall I do with you?" he thought out loud as he stared at the Grim.

Undertaker chuckled lowly. "Do what you will! It makes no difference to me."

Sebastian eyed him carefully. He wasn't sure why the Grim wasn't at least rattled, but at the same time it wasn't as if he was about to attempt murder. _Hmmm... this an interesting individual... what kind of torture would do the trick? _he asked himself. He looked at the Grim's face and looked up and down his scar. _... Well, maybe pain won't be the correct method. _Sebastian took a deep breath then blinked as a thought occurred to him. He smiled as the thought turned into an idea. "Tell me, Undertaker," he leaned over the Grim and used his energy to tip the chair back on its back legs, "how long has it been since you've had any good fun?"

Undertaker snickered. "Well, that would depend on what kind of fun you're referring to!"

Sebastian narrowed his eyes and smirked. He reached for the funeral director's hat and nudged the rim upwards just slightly. He could just barely make out a glint of gold-green through his thick hair. He smiled wide as his fangs bared themselves of their own accord. "I'm referring to the _fun_ kind of fun," he said lowly as he then ran his finger down the Grim's nose.

Undertaker laughed lowly and leveled his own smirk. "Well, _that_ one I'd have to think on for a whole day or two!"

Sebastian leaned his left hand on the back of the chair as he brought his other to his lips. "So its been a while then?" he asked silkily, taking another step closer and bringing himself into Undertaker's personal space.

Undertaker gave that low laugh again. He cocked his head slightly. "So your persuasion is to give me a good time?" he asked, amusement lacing his voice.

Sebastian smiled again. "If that's what it takes," he said in a sultry tone. He bit the finger of his glove and slid his hand out smoothly.

Undertaker actually scoffed. "Assuming that is a viable option for you," he said with a wide smile.

Sebastian smirked again as he tucked his glove in his chest pocket. "Well, I have no reason to think it is not. And even if I did," he stroked the backs of his fingers gently over Undertaker's cheek and then ran a finger under his jaw, "you are in no position to stop me."

Undertaker closed his mouth and smiled an oddly smug smile. "We'll see about that, Demon."

Sebastian chuckled and bared his teeth again. "I guess we shall," he said in a velvet voice as he trailed his fingers down Undertaker's neck. "And what does my being a Demon have to do with anything. Other than my having you completely at my mercy of course," he added with a smirk.

"Nothing much I guess," Undertaker answered, apparently unfazed by the nimble fingers slowly undoing his collar. "Though it is an observation worth noting at any given time."

Sebastian smiled in amusement at that sentence, though admittedly he had no idea what point it held. He trailed his fingers from the dip in Undertaker's neck back up to the base of his jaw. He drew his face closer as he did and just barely touched Undertaker's nose with his own. "Is it perhaps that, as a Demon, I make you nervous?" he whispered curiously.

"Hm! It takes more than one like you to get at my nerves," Undertaker said lowly, that amused tone still playing in his voice.

Sebastian felt his energy shudder, as if emboldened by a challenge. He narrowed his eyes and followed his energy's compulsion to grip the Grim's jaw and pull his face closer. "Is that so?" he whispered, sweet venom lacing his words.

"You'll never be able to please me."

The words were said with finality and utter surety, the amusement behind them utterly clear. Undertaker was insulting him.

Sebastian stared at what was nothing more than a glint of gold-green behind a faded wall of grey. He felt a growl of his true nature emanate from his throat. "We'll see about that." With that he closed the gap and crashed his lips down onto Undertaker's.

He moved harshly and quickly, claiming the Grim's lips with his own. He gripped Undertaker's hair and pulled his head back forcefully, knocking his hat to the floor. The surprise action was enough and he was able to slip his tongue between Undertaker's teeth and possess his mouth.

While the back of his mind was surprised he wasn't receiving much of a fight, the more dominant part of him was reveling in the moment. Only the Grim had the subtle taste of minerals, whereas humans tasted like metal and his own kind tasted like darkness. It had been quite a long time since he'd tasted the flesh of a Grim and the opportunity being at hand, he decided to capture the full flavor.

Sebastian gripped Undertaker's hair tighter and used his ungloved hand to grip the pulse-point in his neck. The desired effect was a split second of motionless. He took advantage of the moment and pulled the Grim's tongue into his mouth with his own. He then bit down with just enough pressure.

Undertaker tensed briefly and a noise of surprise escaped him. Blood rushed Sebastian's mouth and he gladly drank in the substance. The taste of molten minerals and liquid electricity caressed his senses. He stopped himself from smiling as a growl rumbled from his chest. It was one of the wonders of existence, he was sure about that.

He resumed his original campaign of possession as he trailed his hand back down Undertaker's neck. He used his energy to undo the buttons of Undertaker's coat as he reached around his beads to easily thumb open his undercoat. He then forcefully opened the shirt underneath and ran his hand over the smooth skin of Undertaker's chest. He felt his energy flutter at the prospect of what he was going to do next. As he angled Undertaker's head even further back, delving his tongue as deeply as he could, he dragged his fingers slowly down the Grim's sternum. His anticipation rose in him like a raging fire as he slid his fingers lower, searching for the treasure. That one little coin sized spot of unparalleled softness...

Sebastian's eyes flew open and quite suddenly he found himself nose to nose with Undertaker. The Grim's misted eyes were just barely visible under his hair. Sebastian stared into those unwavering depths as he moved his fingertips ever so gently, making certain his discovery was correct. His wide eyes softened and his demonic energy dissipated all at once.

Undertaker let out a distinctly cynical laugh. "I told you, you couldn't please me."

Sebastian would have sighed.

He wasn't sure which disappointment was more profound; the disappointment of not being able to serve his master; the disappointment of not getting a much anticipated opportunity at a Grim; or the disappointment of being proven wrong by said Grim. As he respectfully started redoing Undertaker's clothes he found the combined disappointment of all three disappointments was just enough disappointment to foul his entire mood for the day.

"My apologies, Undertaker. It seems you were indeed correct," he said, brushing off the funeral director's shoulders before standing straight and taking a step back.

Undertaker chuckled and grinned like a Cheshire cat as he re-crossed his legs. "Well, I did tell you, now didn't I! And I already said once today I am no good at lying!" he said, leaning his head on his fist.

Sebastian finally let out a heavy sigh. "Yes, yes, you are correct on _both_ counts." He tried to retain a respectful facial expression, though it was hard to keep down his annoyance.

Undertaker chuckled again. "So then, Butler! What are you going to do now?"

Sebastian was silent for a moment. He then took a deep breath and put his hand to his chin. "Well, I guess since _that_ didn't pan out, I'll have to come up with some _other _method."

"HAAAAHAHAHAHAAAAAA!" Undertaker suddenly leaned back in the chair and fell over backwards. Slamming to the ground did absolutely nothing to stop his compulsive laughing as he kicked his legs in the air.

Sebastian blinked in surprise and watched as he continued laughing explosively. "Well, _that_ could do the trick I suppose," he said thoughtfully.

"Finally!"

Sebastian looked to see Ciel walking in the door followed closely by Lau. "It took you long enough!"

Sebastian blinked in surprise again. "Well, my Lord, I am not so sure that I am actually done-"

"AAAHAHAHAHAAAHAHAHAAA!" Undertaker wracked the parlor with yet another wave of explosive laughter.

"That sounds pretty done to me," Ciel said in annoyance. "Now then if we can get down to business-"

"Master, I really think you should go back outside, I-" Sebastian heard the chair screech and looked to see Undertaker standing from the floor, still laughing loudly, "Considering what he said earlier this is likely not going to be sufficient for him to give up his information."

Ciel huffed. "What more does he want, a backrub!?"

Sebastian stalled momentarily at the irony of that comment. He smiled. "Well, perhaps my Lord, but I haven't gotten that far yet."

"What is it he's doing, you think?" Lau suddenly asked.

Sebastian and Ciel looked back to where Undertaker was and saw him at the far corner next to his shelving, now chuckling more than laughing. Before any of them could say anything, he pushed on a section of the wall. It popped open like a door and he quickly slipped through the opening.

The three of them stared at the sight.

"Well, that is also knew isn't it!" Lau said with a smile.

"Shut up, Lau!" Ciel shouted again. "I knew the bloody lunatic didn't live out of that coffin!"

Sebastian chuckled as he automatically started for the downed chair. "Rather good at keeping his secrets isn't he." He picked the chair up and put it back in it's place against the wall. "Though, it is interesting that he would suddenly reveal one now," he said thoughtfully.

Ciel huffed and crossed his arms. "Yes, of course it is, but is he going to come back out any time soon? We've been here long enough."

"Would you like me to ask him, my Lord?" Sebastian asked in a mild tone.

"If you would, please," Ciel answered moodily.

Sebastian nodded his head with a smile and started for the secret doorway. It was odd to him that Undertaker would just run off like this, but he supposed it wasn't too surprising considering what had just happened. "Undertaker," he put his hand on the entrance and leaned around the corner, "are you..." He stopped short and felt the breath leave his lungs.

Undertaker was sitting collapsed over a desk he had sat against the wall next to the door. His body was limp and blood was running from his nose. What could be seen of his face was frozen in a pained expression.

"Undertaker!"

Sebastian looked to his side to see his master staring at the sight with him. "Master, please-"

"What's happened, Sebastian?!" Ciel shouted, completely ignoring the attempted plea.

"I'm not sure," Sebastian said as he walked to Undertaker's side. As he touched his arm, the Grim groaned.

"... I'm fine..." he said in a hoarse whisper. "Just... fine..." He seemed to be struggling to get the words out.

"Quite obviously, Sir, you are not." Sebastian looked to his left and saw a small bed against the adjacent wall of the parlor. He gripped Undertaker's arm and knelt to bring it over his shoulder.

Undertaker grimaced at the movement and tried to resist. "No, just... leave..." he said in a shallow voice. He seemed to be having trouble breathing.

"I'll do no such thing. You are in need of assistance and we are currently the only ones here." Sebastian said as he secured Undertaker's arm and held him at his waist. "Now, I'm going to walk you to your bed," he said gently.

"Sebastian! Do you know what's wrong with him?" Ciel asked with a slight panic to his voice.

"I'm not sure, Master," Sebastian answered. Though, he was afraid of what he suspected. Undertaker's bloody nose, shallow breathing, and stiff movements were suggesting the problem, but he was ardently hoping he was wrong.

Though it only took three good steps to get to the bed, Undertaker's condition deteriorated with each one. As Sebastian turned him and gently started lowering him down, he could see it clearly. Undertaker's eyes were closed in total agony and his breaths were raspy and hard-won. He could barely keep his head from falling back and his grip on Sebastian's arms was extremely week. As he laid Undertaker completely on his back, Sebastian knew. It was the Grim's chest.

Undertaker's grip faltered on Sebastian's arms and his hands fell to the bed. He seemed to be trying to breath but nothing more than shallow gasps and huffs made their way through. Sebastian looked to Ciel, who was leaning over the bed looking at the funeral director with concern. "Master, please-"

"I'm not going anywhere, Sebastian!" Ciel half-shouted angrily as he stared into Sebastian's eyes.

Sebastian knew he couldn't worry for it. He did, however, look to Lau who was standing in the doorway. "Please wait outside, Lau," he said sternly.

Lau nodded. "As you wish," he said calmly and backed out of the room.

Sebastian didn't waist any more time. He looked back to Undertaker and started unbuttoning his jacket and undercoat.

"You've been lying haven't you, you know what's wrong," Ciel said angrily.

"I don't lie, Master. I do not know, I have a suspicion and I hope my suspicion his wrong," Sebastian said quickly as he started undoing Undertaker's shirt. "Now please, prepare your eyes," he said, already knowing Ciel wasn't about to look away. Sebastian held his breath and pulled open the shirt. His face fell. _Damn..._

Undertaker's portal, the way in which the Grim were intimate, was severely inflamed.

Sebastian had stopped in his efforts earlier due to the scarring he had felt covering half of the coin sized area. He knew that with so much scar tissue in the area, any intimate attempt would be excruciatingly painful. He looked now at the diagonal scar running across the Grim's chest. The portions of the scar encroaching the portal were swollen and colored a deep red due to the inflammation. The surrounding area of the portal was flushed a bright red and the portal itself looked to be swollen and throbbing.

"What is... what am I looking at?" Ciel asked in a shaky voice.

Sebastian glanced at him and pulled Undertaker's shirt as far to the sides as it would go, bearing as much of his upper body as possible. "You are looking at the portal of a Grim, Master. However, it appears Undertaker has had the misfortune of being injured earlier in his life, and he has a significant amount of scarring covering his portal." He stood and looked around the small room, the rest of which being taken up by a kitchen-like area with a fireplace, stove, and oven, and a dresser with shelving on top.

"Well, what is- what's happening to it?"

Sebastian started into the kitchen area and looked into the small pantry at the side. He spotted what he needed instantly. He picked up the tall bottle and started looking around the cupboards over the stove. "His portal has become inflamed, Master, likely only happening because of the scarring and increased blood flow." He spotted the other item he needed and smiled. _What intelligent Grim wouldn't have a supply of these,_ he asked himself happily.

"Increased blood flow? What does that have to do with anything?"

Sebastian took the kettle from the stove and poured a fourth of the tall bottle of milk into it before setting it in the hearth. He used his energy to start the flame before reaching for the jar he had found in the cupboard. "The persuasion method I was attempting was that of pleasure. I stopped my efforts after discovering his predicament, but it appears the damage was done." He took a spoon from the stove and opened the jar. He leaned over the kettle in the hearth and started pouring the honey from the jar into the now simmering milk.

"Wait! You were trying to use SEX?!" Ciel shouted in disbelief.

Sebastian stopped a chuckle. "It has worked before, Master," he said, stirring the milk and honey together as the concoction started a low boil.

Ciel looked to Undertaker as he struggled to breath. His face was screwed up in pain and it looked like he couldn't move if he tried. Ciel wasn't sure why he felt the need to but he reached his hand out to Undertaker's wrist. He blinked. "I think he's shaking, Sebastian."

"His body is likely trembling because he is going into shock, my Lord. But not to worry, I am almost done with the remedy."

"There is a remedy for this?!" Ciel asked, looking at his servant's back.

"Yes. A boiled together mixture of milk and honey is a remedy for almost any ailment a Grim is suffering from. The exact ratio depends on the exact ailment but the ingredients are still the same," Sebastian explained as he continued to stir.

Ciel blinked in surprise. "That's it? What do you have to do with it?"

"I have to apply it to the affected area. As soon as I do, the mixture will soothe the problem and will eventually heal the area like a salve." Sebastian took the kettle from the hearth and sat it on the stove. He started looking in the cupboards and found some stoneware dishes and cups. He grabbed a cup and searched around. Noticing several clean paint brushes sitting in a bowl he grabbed a smaller one.

Ciel watched as Sebastian poured the milk and honey brew into the cup and started stirring it around with the brush. Sebastian finally came back over to the bed and held the cup to him. Ciel blinked and looked from him to the cup. "What are you doing?"

Sebastian smiled. "If you would, Master, I need you to test it with your finger. If you can bear the heat of it then it is the appropriate temperature."

Ciel narrowed his eyes. "And what would you have done if I wasn't here?"

Sebastian cocked his head. "I would have guessed," he answered in a matter-of-fact tone.

Ciel suppressed a sigh and took off his glove. He put his finger in carefully but found the brew to be of a comfortably warm temperature. He took his finger out and nodded.

Sebastian nodded his head then leaned over Undertaker. He stirred the brush in and brought the cup closer. Ciel held his breath without meaning to as he watched. Sebastian gathered a large quantity onto the brush, then quickly yet gently ran it directly over the portal.

Undertaker arched upwards with a choked gasp. He then let out a raspy whimper and collapsed back to the bed.

"Is that a good thing?" Ciel asked with concern.

"It will be," Sebastian answered as he dipped the brush back into the cup and repeated his action.

Undertaker let out another smaller gasp but immediately followed with a shallow sigh. Ciel watched him as Sebastian repeated his actions. Slowly but surely, with each gentle brush stroke, Undertaker's breathing started to deepen and his face started to relax.

Ciel looked to his chest and felt his eyes widen. The scar that had been a dark, bloody red was now it's normal slight tan color. His chest was just flushed a slight pink and what he assumed to be the portal, since there was no more swelling to tell him otherwise, was just a slightly darker pink patch of skin.

"See, my Lord," Sebastian said without looking away, "he is fine."

Ciel looked at Sebastian's face to see a smug smile on it. He then looked to Undertaker's face. His eyes were still covered by his hair but he looked to be expressionless. _I think he's passed out_, Ciel thought. He then zeroed in on the blood from his nose. It was starting to dry. Ciel looked to Sebastian and started digging in his suit pocket.

"I'm sorry did you need something, my Lord?" Sebastian said with a hint of surprise in his voice.

"A handkerchief," Ciel said simply. He whipped it out of Sebastian's pocket and crawled onto the bed over Undertaker. He reached over and gently started wiping the blood from his face. He noticed in his peripheral that Sebastian paused for only a second before continuing to guide the brush back and forth.

He finally wiped all the blood away and sat on his feet on the bed. He watched as Sebastian collected the last of the milk and honey and brush it on the Grim's chest. Sebastian then stood and seemed to survey his handiwork.

"That should do it, my Lord. Now all I need to do is find a thin cloth to put over the area-"

"Sebastian," Ciel cut him off.

"Yes, my Lord?"

Ciel didn't take his eyes off Undertaker's face. "Never do this again."

There was a pause. "Never do what again, my Lord?"

Ciel didn't move. He didn't look away. "Never use pleasure as an interrogation method."

There was another pause. "Whilst interrogating a Grim, Master?"

"Anyone," Ciel said. "You are the butler of Phantomhive. If you are caught in such an act you will shame yourself and my name." He looked Sebastian in the eyes. "Understood."

Sebastian stared at him for a rather lengthy amount of time. He wore that expressionless face he always wore when being given a command he actually didn't like. "Understood, my Lord," he said simply, putting on the mask of servant as he smiled.

Ciel could see the truth in his eyes. But he hardly cared. Sebastian was his butler. He would follow his orders no matter what they were.

Ceil looked back to Undertaker as Sebastian proceeded to search for a cloth. He watched Undertaker's chest rise and fall rhythmically as he breathed at a now steady rate. He looked back to where the portal was. There area was now its normal color, despite having the concoction of milk and honey still covering it. He squinted slightly. He couldn't really see what the actual portal was now that everything looked normal. He then blinked. Almost like a magic trick he now saw the actual thing. He cocked his head just slightly. It was merely a small circular patch of skin that looked a slightly different shade of color. He narrowed his eyes and felt an odd emotion as he examined the portion that was covered by scarring. It looked strangely like the scarring had jumped into the area of the portal, almost like it wasn't actually supposed to be there. _Not like he's supposed to have a giant scar circling his chest anyway_, Ciel thought in self-annoyance.

He blinked as Sebastian's hands entered his view. He watched as Sebastian gently placed a folded piece of fine material over Undertaker's chest. "What is that?" he asked.

"I don't actually know," Sebastian answered as he gently smoothed the material over. "It is a cloth originating from the realm of the Grim. I have no idea how they make it or what its made from. I only know it is made for this purpose."

"Its made for covering... injuries?" Ciel asked, uncertain of what to call Undertaker's current condition.

"Yes. It is a protective barrier from clothes and open air, almost like a bandage, but much softer and much more suitable. At least for this task." Sebastian pulled the edges of Undertaker's shirt back over his chest and smoothed them out as well. He then pulled the undercoat closed and smoothed it out gently. However, he didn't button either.

"Why are you leaving them unbuttoned?" Ciel asked curiously.

"It could prove to be too tight or restricting," Sebastian answered as he stood. "He doesn't need either right now."

Ciel nodded and looked back to Undertaker's face. He seemed to be resting peacefully. _An odd expression for an odd circumstance_, Ciel thought absently. He took a deep breath and made to say something. He then flinched. _What was that?_ He flinched again as a popping noise sounded near his face. _Wha- is that static?_

Suddenly, little shocks started hitting him around his face and shoulders. "AAH! Sebastian, what's-"

"Master, get down!" Sebastian shouted as he covered Ciel with his body.

The sound of electricity cut through the air and the shocks became larger and more painful. The whole ordeal lasted only a few seconds before stopping all at once.

Sebastian's eyes flew open as he recognized the telltale ripple in the air.

"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS!"

Sebastian and Ciel whipped their heads up and looked to the source of the voice.

Standing just in front of the dresser, Death Scythe at the ready, and a look of murderous rage on his face, was Grim Reaper William T. Spears.

XxXxX

* * *

**A tidbit of chapter3:**

"You're holding my hand like a child, William."

William looked to see Undertaker smiling ever so slightly. He sighed in relief. _Thank goodness you've woken up..._ Admittedly, he was clenching the elder's hand rather tightly. But was it really so surprising? "What do you expect? I just came into the sight of you on your bed and a demon hunched over you. Can you really blame me?"

Undertaker smiled slightly wider but made no attempt to move. "Not really."

William stared at him as he simply laid there breathing as smoothly as possible. He had never seen him in such a state. Never had he seen him weakened. In pain, yes, but to the point of unconsciousness, no. "What happened?" he asked straightforwardly.

Undertaker grinned and let out a very small, gentle laugh. "I don't think you really want to know," he said.

William felt his eyes soften just slightly. "Yes I do... Senpai."


End file.
